Premium Rush (2012)

In Manhattan, if you want something moved from one place to another as fast as absolutely possible, you need a bike courier. These folks ride all over the city quick as lightening to deliver their parcels, letters etc etc. Wilee is one such courier. He asks his dispatch for more runs as he is short of money and this next one may just be the end of him. Through in the Chinese Mafia, a dirty cop and a whole lot of NYC, and you have “Premium Rush”.

First Half Review

I saw this last September at a special screening and thought it was a fantastic thriller. It’s one of those old school thrillers that we don’t really see any more.

It has a simple story a simple villain there’s no twists or shocks in it. It’s just a decent enjoyable movie.

Wilee is a New York City bike courier who has to get a package from A to B but someone wants the package. That’s the crux of the movie. It’s a by the numbers thriller that won’t win any major awards but it’s a solid movie in it’s own right.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon play off each other well. The love aspect, while seemingly tacky at parts, is realistic in it’s depiction.

It’ll be one of those movies when it’s on if you watch it, you won’t hate it.

Plus if you’ve been to New York, it’s great to look through it and say “I WAS THERE”.

Second Half Review

When this movie was out in the cinemas, it was one of those movies that I wanted to go see but there was always something better on. I’m a big fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt and love the variety of roles that he plays.

In “Premium Rush”, he plays Wilee; a head strong daredevil who rides his bike with reckless abandon. His girlfriend, Vanessa. is also a bike courier but things between herself and Wilee are not going well. Vanessa is really having a bad time of it. Her boyfriend misses her graduation and now her roommate wants her to move out, with almost no warning.

Wilee gets the call to pick up a mysterious letter from Vanessa’s room-mate and the game is on. It would seem that the this would be an easy delivery but Wilee didn’t count on the absolute mental dirty cop making life hella difficult for him.

It’s a simple movie. There is almost no more to it than what I have described. In saying that, it’s a beautifully shot movie. NYC is looking particularly lovely in this movie. For once, it’s not all dark and grimy. It’s a sunny day and the sunlight truly lifts the city.

Watch it when you want to see something with no in-depth plot, something light but still entertaining.

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One thought on “Premium Rush (2012)”

Myself and my friend were in NY when we saw this. We booked the tickets online, had to race to Times Square to catch the film and then reveled in the fact that “WE JUST WALKED THROUGH THERE”. Thoroughly enjoyable film, I agree completely.